“And now that you have learned that it is in your power,--young as you are--to raise so large a sum among you in the course of the year, I hope I shall no longer see the school-children the only part of my congregation who do not offer their alms in the Church. Every Sunday, in that part of the Communion Service which is called the Offertory, the churchwardens collect the offerings of the congregation. Hitherto you have been passed by: but I hope the time is now come when you will do what you can to increase the sum which is offered upon God’s altar. The sum so collected is given _first_, to our own sick and needy, and then what remains is spent in building churches and schools in our own or in heathen countries. I need not tell you that money so spent is well spent, and must have God’s blessing upon it. And I trust I need not remind you that it is a great honour and privilege to be allowed to spend in God’s service at all. “I hope you will keep on your garden, and that, out of the profits, you will set aside some portion yearly, so that every Sunday, or at least occasionally, Mr. Dilwyn may make some offering,--a six-pence or a shilling, as you are able, in the name of you all, and for the pious purposes of which I have spoken. “You cannot offer much, but we know that the widow’s mite was more valued by God, than all the costly offerings of the rich man. Do _you_ follow her example!” [Illustration] TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES: Italicized text is surrounded by underscores: _italics_. Perceived typographical errors have been corrected. Inconsistencies in hyphenation have been standardized. Archaic or variant spelling has been retained.